Tyler Landy Gardner, J.D., of Orangeburg, South Carolina, went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 12, 2025.
Tyler was born in Orangeburg, the only child of the late Mary Ashley Williams Gardner and the late Dr. Jimmy L. Gardner. He was a graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory School, The Citadel-The Military College of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
From a young age, Tyler experienced profound hardship with the loss of his sweet mother to breast cancer. Even through that pain, he showed remarkable resilience and determination. Tyler had an exceptionally close relationship with his father, his staunchest supporter, until his unfortunate passing in 2023. Tyler excelled academically and athletically in high school, a starting defensive end on the varsity football team and member of a state championship 4×400 relay track team. Tyler was proud to be from Orangeburg.
Tyler followed in his father’s footsteps and attended The Citadel, graduating with a biology degree in 2009. A member of Alpha Company, Tyler excelled as a cadet and a student, winning gold stars multiple semesters. He held rank as an upperclassman, notably Cadre Squad Sergeant his junior year, dedicating himself to training new cadet recruits. He was known throughout the Corps for his toughness, wit and grit. In 2008 he won the title of Rifle King, champion of The Citadel’s most challenging test of strength and endurance. Tyler cherished the deep, lifelong bond he formed with his Alpha Company brothers.
Tyler loved Charleston and lived there for many years. After college, Tyler worked as a carriage tour guide, making lasting friendships and meeting thousands of tourists from all over the world. Always curious, Tyler loved engaging with his passengers about their hometowns and sharing his unique gift for humor and storytelling.
Tyler continued his education at the University of South Carolina School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree and returning to Orangeburg to open his own law firm in the same building where his late grandfather, Senator Marshall B. Williams, once practiced, carrying forward a meaningful family legacy.
Tyler lived with enthusiasm and curiosity. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, gardening, and spending time with his faithful dogs. He loved fast cars, motorcycles, stylish shoes, and, most of all, good conversation. Tyler had a gift for connecting with people, even those he had just met, and he had an insatiable thirst for learning.
Tyler is survived by his fiancée, Jordan Law-Marron; his uncle, Charles Williams of Orangeburg; two aunts, Ann Platz Groton of Atlanta, GA, and Marie Gardner Trussell of Trenton, FL; and numerous cousins and close friends from all stages of his life. He was preceded in death by his loving mother, Mary Ashley Williams Gardner; his dedicated father, Dr. Jimmy L. Gardner; and his cousin, Ivey Williams Eberly.
Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026, at Dukes-Harley Funeral Home Chapel. The family and loved ones will receive friends immediately following the service.